How to Make a French Toast Casserole

French Toast Casserole Recipe

History of French toast

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The earliest official mention of French toast is in the Apicius, a collection of Latin recipes dating back to the 4th or 5th century. The Brothers Grimm mention it as Arme Ritter in the Deutsches Wörterbuch, quoting from the Buch von guter Spyse, which dates back to the 14th century. Another early mention is in the time of the reign of Henry V, when it was known as pain perdu in England. Pain perdu means "lost bread"; stale bread that might have otherwise been thrown away could be used for this dish. The origin of the name "French toast" is not clear, but the most popular theory is that it is named for Joseph French. As the restaurateur of a tavern just outside Albany, New York in 1724, French supposedly created the American version of the recipe and listed the dish as "French toast", after himself. Slices of bread are dipped in a beaten egg and dairy mixture. The slices of egg-coated bread are then placed on a frying pan or griddle prepared with a coat of butter or oil, and cooked until both sides are browned and the egg has cooked through. For the best results, the bread is sliced and left to dry overnight. The hardness of the bread keeps the bread from absorbing too much egg and getting soggy. The cooked slices can be served with toppings, including jam, butter, peanut butter, honey, maple syrup, golden syrup, fruit syrup, molasses, apple sauce, whipped cream, fruit, chocolate, sugar, yogurt, powdered sugar, or marmalade.

Step 4...Place 1/2 of the cubed bread in the buttered casserole dish, sprinkle 1/2 of the brown sugar mixture evenly over the top. Add the remaining bread and top with the rest of the sugar mixture.

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Step 5...In a large bowl, whisk the 8 eggs and add the 1-3/4 cups milk and vanilla extract. Whisk until well blended.

Step 6...Now, starting from the sides of the casserole dish and working toward the center, pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread. With a spatula or large spoon, gently press down on the bread to coat it with the egg mixture. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours.

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Step 7...Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake the casserole covered for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and continue to bake until the casserole turns light golden brown and looks kind of puffy, should take about 30 minutes. Serve warm with maple syrup.